The People's Army
by UnchainedMelody94
Summary: Shinra had won. Sort of. They had defeated Wutai, destroyed AVALANCHE and dominated the world, but peace, as we all know, is fleeting. Now, the People's Army is rising into greater prominence, born out of a desire for revenge and a disturbing lust for blood and destruction. Innocence will no longer matter in the fight for freedom. It's take sides, or die. AU.
1. Chapter 1

**This is something I had to get out of my head. Hopefully it won't bear much resemblance to 'From Slum To Soldier' (my other ffvii story), but I just had to post it as it has been sitting on my computer for ages.**

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**Shinra Electric Power Company** - a megacorporation that has been slowly working to out the current government and take control of the world.

**The People's Army **– a collaboration of the different groups who opposed Shinra for their own reasons; AVALANCHE, remnants of the Wutai forces, and the few people left of the original government that had been deemed worthless when Shinra won the Wutai war.

**Jane Dixon** – stuck in-between the two sides, one brother with the PA, and the other working for Shinra.

Before this story really began, Jane had had four encounters with members of SOLDIER that had somehow led to this fate. At the time, the small transactions had seemed like nothing, as they were meant to have been. Unavoidably, as it had grown to be, any contact with either side, which was seen by the opposing one, was deemed as an act of alliance as the civil war reached its peak.

Loveless Avenue, and the surrounding Sector 8, was the centre of entertainment in Midgar. It housed the theatre, and a couple of really trendy bars that a lot of people frequented; well, those that lived above the plate. There you could find any manner of shops to do with the arts; galleries, music stores etc. Everyone wanted premises there, or in one of the surrounding places. There were such places in the other sectors, but the most noteworthy were all found in Sector 8, in which ''Howards' Bookstore'' could be located.

The street was a pedestrianized zone running off Loveless Avenue. It was a centre for commerce thanks to the easy access to the train station and Shinra building, and premises were in the highest demand there. The shops there were all classy; tearooms, restaurants, places where rich people could spend obscene amounts of money on stupid little crystal ornaments which they would then stick on a shelf where no-one could see them. All of them had glossy fronts that proudly displayed their wares in order to tempt in passers-by.

Howards Bookstore stuck out like a sore thumb. It was on the corner of the street, and next to it was an avenue where drunken people tended to congregate after nightfall. The unfortunate result of this was the heavy stench of drunkard vomit lingering around even after day break. Heat and damp both accentuated the vile stench. It was this, accompanied by the shops exterior, which drove potential customers away, down towards where sweet scents were drifting out of the bakeries. The outside of the shop was a faded dark green with the name of the shop painted in stiff, inelegant writing, which was a pale yellow. Some supposed the effect would have been so bad if the paint hadn't peeled so badly that the green looked more like camouflage and the name now read 'Hovarcs bocclstorc'.

The inside was hardly any better. The store was old and it showed; the shelves were dusty, the old tomes which _no-one_ apart from the most eccentric people looked at were starting to fade and crumble, and the whole place smelled like really old wafers that were three years out of date. The carpet had once been a rich soft red, but was now turned almost black for trampled in dirt – not even a hoover powerful enough to mimic a black hole would stand a chance of returning the moth-eaten disgrace to its former glory.

The layout of the shop was pretty simple. The door opened into the bottom left corner of the shop. Straight ahead was the end of a shelf which ran to the other side of the store, then turned the corner to run to the top right of the shop. This end of the shelf hit the wall of the storeroom which wasn't accessible to the public. This wall ran for a few metres before it disappeared and was replaced with the counter behind which the sales person would stand. Again, this ran for a couple of metres and then cornered and carried on until half a metre away from the right hand wall of the shop. Right at the end of the counter was a gap over which a piece of wood on hinges would flip up to allow the workers to gain access to and from the main shopping area. To the right of this (when facing the right hand shop wall) were two dark green antique leather sofas which faced each other over a shabby old coffee table. The idea was that customers could sit in on the lumpy furniture to read in comfort. Finally, trapped in by the counter and the wall-lining shelves, stood three separate, double sided shelves, all lined floor to ceiling with books.

Right now, the shop had a grand total of four people in it; two customers, the teenage boy who worked in the shop, and his twelve-year-old sister who helped out. The customers were standing between the two middle shelves talking with one another, and the older brother was standing behind the desk, leaning his arms on it and glancing every now and then towards the door, as if waiting for someone. His name was John Dixon. At seventeen years old he was tall, lean and gangling. He wore a plain, unassuming black suit over a white shirt and navy blue tie, all of which were done up impeccably. His long pale fingers were interlocked in almost a prayer like manner as his hazel eyes flicked to the door again.

He had inherited this bookshop off of his grandfather, an eccentric old man who wore old fashioned regal clothing and a monocle. With his short but bushy white beard and tufty white hair on his head, he had always seemed to resemble an old professor, an old nutty one like out of a book. The old man had passed away some weeks ago and it had only been through need of money that John had agreed to carry on his grandfather's work. Until his inheritance from his parents came through, he had to be able to provide for himself and his little sister, who was the only remaining family member left to him. However, as much as he had loved his grandfather and admired his dedication to books, this wasn't where John wanted to work. In fact, right now he was waiting on word from Shinra's science department, to see whether or not his application to train under Professor Hollander had been accepted.

He didn't know what would happen to this place if he did get the job; after all, the two siblings lived in the small apartment above the shop, so it made sense to keep this place running. Also, as much as she might complain about Howards, John knew that his sister wouldn't want to leave it. She had been very attached to her Grandfather and had inherited his love of books; he would often find her pouring over the dusty old tomes in her room. At one point he had thought that the girl had started writing her own book, but had never found the evidence of it.

John nearly jumped out of his skin when the little bell above the door tinkled. It was the second time that evening that this had happened. The first time he had looked up eagerly to see two normal customers enter, who were now standing in the poetry section. This time as John's eyes shot up he wasn't disappointed. A man in a grey suit and red tie stepped into the shop, followed by a more serious man in a black suit and matching tie. The two of them marched straight up to where John was standing, their footfalls making dull thuds on the worn carpet.

Jane hated standing in the place she was. It was musty, cluttered and she still wasn't tall enough to reach the place she wanted. She was in the store cupboard that doubled as a cloakroom, supposedly sorting out the jumble of books that lay scattered on the shelves, but had become bored and therefore easily distracted. Right now she had her ear pressed to the wall and was trying to eavesdrop on the conversation that two customers were currently having. She couldn't quite catch the gist of it, but one of them sounded pretty worked up about something, while a second man, most likely a close friend, was patiently listening and trying to console or calm down the first guy.

''He _stabbed_ it!'' the first voice said, ''He actually stabbed it clean through.''

''I know,'' the second, slightly deeper voice said with a bite of impatience, ''I was there too, but I'm sure it was an accident.'' The tone in the second man's voice clearly said that he didn't believe his own words, and this was echoed by an exclamation of disbelief from the first man. Jane had to stifle a little giggle at how funny the distorted sound seemed though the wall, and shifted slightly, trying to hear the men better. The hands that were supporting her on the shelf were covered in gritty dust but she paid no mind to it, her attention riveted on the conversation in the other room.

''_Accident?_'' the first voice scoffed, his voice growing slightly louder. Jane tensed, wondering whether they were coming closer to the wall, then mentally slapped herself; even if they were coming closer they couldn't _see_ her. ''You know he doesn't _have_ accidents! He meant to get my book!''

Jane bit down on her tongue as a grin spread across her features. They were arguing about a book – how childish could you get? If she was twelve and able to say that, then something was _definitely_ wrong with these two guys. She wondered how old they were. They sounded like adults.

''Well it was pretty impressive that he managed to get the apple too, in that case,'' the second man's voice was laced with amusement. This didn't go down to well with the other man as there was a dull _thwack_ as the man with the deeper voice got hit with a book. All that met this was a deep manly chuckle and a huff of annoyance which were cut short as the bell above the door tinkled.

''John Dixon?'' the man in the grey suit inquired as soon as he reached the counter. The other man, the one in black, stood two paces behind the first, hands clasped in front of him and his face half hidden in the shadows of the poorly lit shop. Neither of them seemed affected by the obvious stale smell of dry mould lingering in the air

''George Gruber, Shinra Science Department,'' said the man in grey, his manner as stiff as his posture, ''you're application to join us had been accepted, we would like you to come with us now.''

John was taken aback; he had expected a further interview, not an immediate summons to the Shinra building itself. His brown eyes were startled as they flickered once towards the door to the storeroom, inside which his sister was temporarily stationed. He didn't want to leave her alone, not with two strange men in the shop. Though they were above the plate and crime tended to stay below it, he wouldn't put it past Jane to be absent minded enough to let something happen; she liked to stuff her nose into books and now she was surrounded by them.

''Ummm-'' John hesitated, but it seemed that the departure time was none-negotiable.

''Now or never Mr Dixon,'' George Gruber said sternly, putting such a finality into his words that John dare not refuse him.

''Alright, alright,'' the brown-haired teen sighed and turned his head to the right, ''Jane, come out here.''

Jane jumped where she was hiding. She had been listening very intently at the wooden door ever since this George Gruber first spoke, but hadn't expected to be called for. She wondered wildly for one moment whether she had been caught, but stamped on the idea immediately. Instead of worrying, she tried to calm the spike of adrenaline, and carefully wiped her dusty hands on her blue skirt, leaving dark trails. She twitched her matching top to make sure it was straight and popped her head out of the door.

''Yeah?'' She chirruped at her brother. They looked rather similar, both having brown hair and hazel eyes. Her hair was cut short so it lightly skimmed her shoulders and her eyes sparkled warmly in the light. She was around five foot tall, and for all intents and purposes, quite plain. Her face didn't have any outstanding features and she wasn't incredibly pretty, plus she was a bit of a nerd due to her excessive reading.

''You're going to have to look after the store for a little while, okay? Just lock up early and I'll be home I soon as I can.''

Jane could tell just by her brother's expression that he was worried. But she wasn't, and was annoyed that John always was.

''Alright. Good luck,'' she smiled, but he wasn't satisfied by her lack of concern for her own safety. Being the only family members left to each other could do that.

''Are you going to be alright?'' he asked. Jane wondered if he wanted her to complain so he had to stay.

''I'll be fine, just go already,'' she laughed and have a playful push, quickly brushing of any concerns.

''Yes ma'am!" He gave her a mock salute before playfully ruffling her hair. She hated when he did that, and quickly tried to repair the damage he had done to her once-neat locks.  
After that, John turned to the suited men and nodded.

''If you'll follow us Mr Dixon, we'll be on our way,'' Gruber said, motioning him toward the exit. Jane watched them go and felt slightly forlorn. Things felt emptier when her brother left, though she often liked the solitude.  
Just then, the nerves of being left alone in a dark shop, with two strange men, hit her. Covertly, she glanced out of the corner of her eye towards they were standing, but quickly made herself look busy when they approached her.

''Hey kid, you wouldn't have any copies of LOVELESS lying around would you?''

Finally she got a good look at the two men whose conversation she had eavesdropped on. They were scary. The one who had just spoke was dressed in red and black leather, his long coat almost reaching the floor. Intensely blue eyes, set in a handsome face framed by auburn hair stared down at her.

''Mmmm, yeah, I think I saw some." Jane said, leaning back slightly and glancing towards the store cupboard. "Would you prefer the red leather bound version, or the seriously weird red and black one, which I think looks a bit tacky.''

Barely refraining from hitting herself on the head, she bit her lip and bowed her head momentarily as the red-head's companion chuckled.

''Oh really?'' the man in red and black grinned. Jane scratched the back of her head awkwardly.

''What? I didn't say you looked tacky, I just said the book does,'' she answered sheepishly, relaxing slightly when the second man chuckled in agreement.

''Ha ha! I have to agree with her,'' the dark haired man said. If she had to hazard a guess, she would have had to say that it had been this man who had been trying to calm the red-head down. That would mean the one in front of her had been the one to lose his oh-so-precious book.

''So is every other shop in Midgar closed or just out of copies?'' Jane asked casually as entered the store cupboard and began to rummage around.

''Hm?'' The two men looked at her with an air of confusion. However the looks on their faces told her they knew what she was going to say.

''This is the _last_ place anyone looks,'' she commented with a wry smile. Her customers cast an eye around the place.

''It seems like a very – unique – store,'' the Dark haired one said. Jane had to give him credit for at least trying to compliment the place. The only thing that Jane liked was the number of interesting old books there were. Otherwise she would never have even considered entering, not as a customer at any rate.

''Puh-lease, you can tell just by looking at the place that Grandpa didn't run a good shop,'' she scoffed, her nose wrinkled in mild disgust. "He lost it a little nearer the end and this place suffered for it.''

''This was your Grandfather's shop?'' The dark-haired one asked. Jane was surprised to see and hear his genuine interest. She nodded in response, before realising they couldn't see her from where she was standing.

''Yes, he was always a bit nutty but…'' she said slowly as she located the box she had been searching for, ''ah got them! But you had to love him. He was actually the one who first introduced me to Loveless.''

When she left the cupboard, she saw that the red-head was smiling appreciatively. He leaned on the counter slightly as the other man rolled his eyes.

''Ahh, so do I have before me a fellow minded apprentice scholar who searches to find the true meaning behind these words?'' He asked, a gloved hand gesturing to the book she was holding. Jane raised an eyebrow and stumbled slightly over what to tell him.

''Uhhh, I never actually got to the end of it.'' She blushed. ''I burned it.''

''Ha ha ha ha ha!'' the dark-haired man roared with laughter, both at her statement and the effect it had on his companion. The auburn haired man looked scandalised.

''Accidentally of course,'' Jane quickly added, but couldn't help smiling slightly, ''with a fire materia.''

The man who had laughed chuckled some more as the other shook his head in disbelief.

''This is why children should never use materia unsupervised,'' he said, pinching the bridge of his nose in exasperation. ''Where were your parents?''

''Dead.'' She said simply. ''They died years ago. I was thinking about something I'd read and the book was near me so I think I must have accidently targeted it.''

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**Well there is chapter 1. If there isn't much interest in this story I won't be continuing it very far, so if you like it pease review, even if just a few words. Thanks for taking time to read this.**

**UnchainedMelody94.**

**P.S. I am open to suggestions on possible pairings, but right now I am considering either Genesis/OC or Sephiroth/OC. Let me know what you think.  
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	2. Chapter 2

_**Okay here it is, the second chapter! I haven't recived much feedback from the first chapter, but I really would appreciate some as I don;t want to waste my time on something that no-one will read. Anyway, Enjoy!**_

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_**Second Encounter**_

It had been two and a half years since Jane had first met the SOLDIERs, in which time she had grown another few inches and allowed her brown hair to reach waist-length. She had spent a lot of time in the shop since moving there. A lot of it had been spent waging war against the dirt and grime that had accumulated. It had resisted her efforts to remove it greatly, but the girl had persisted and the store was now as clean as it had been in more than two decades.

The outside of the store had been re-painted, so the sign now actually read ''Howard's Bookstore'' without the paint peeling away. Another change she had made was to add a gate to the alleyway next to the shop. Because of this, drunks no longer hung round there and the smell of drunk sick had long since evaporated. The only thing left to do now was update the interior, but Jane still lacked the funds to do so.

The dark haired man from over two years ago entered the bookstore, this time without his companion. As with this first time in the store, he made his way over to the poetry section to browse before approaching the front desk. This is where Jane was stood finishing a crossword.

''Hi,'' he said upon nearing her, making her look up. She smiled politely at her customer. ''Do you have any Red Leather bound copies of Loveless?''

''None on the shelves?'' she asked lightly. ''Alright, just a sec.''

She turned to her right and entered the store cupboard. He only had to wait a few seconds before she came back with a copy of the book in her hand. She put the book on the counter and flicked her hair out of her eyes. Angeal noticed that the right one was badly bruised.

''That looks pretty painful.'' He said, gesturing to the injury. Jane frowned or a second before realising he was talking about her eye.

''Oh yeah,'' she said, off-handed, ''It's not too bad.''

''What happened?'' He pressed her.

She gave a half-shrug, indicating that it wasn't a big deal.

''Some drunks guy got in the ally next to the shop.'' She said, ''I tried to tell them to leave so one of them punched me. It was fine – a Shinra security guard had been keeping an eye on them and was there to help straight away.''

Angeal folded his arms and frowned thoughtfully.

''It's a pity there's so much violence even above the plate,'' he sighed, ''but I guess that's what the guards are there for. Are you by yourself a lot here?''

''Most of the time,'' she nodded, as Angeal passed over the money to pay for the book, ''I live with my brother but he has really long working hours so he's not around much.''

Angeal nodded in reply and studied her for a few seconds.

''Perhaps you should consider learning to fight,'' he suggested, and was surprised when the girl responded with a small laugh. Her eyes sparkled prettily as she did so.

''Heh, you sound just like John; he's always pestering me to take lessons,'' she smiled. ''He's really adamant about it too, as if he expects all of Wutai to come barging into the store or something.''

''You can never be too careful,'' he said sagely, and Jane smiled at him.

''No, I guess not,'' she said, and then chuckled. ''Maybe you have convinced me.''

_**Third Encounter**_

The next time Jane saw them, it was seven months later and a bright sunny summer's afternoon. She was outside of her shop, on the bottom rung of some step ladders talking to a boy in his late teens. Angeal and Genesis spotted her talking to him and agreed to go pay her a visit; after all, Genesis needed yet another copy of his favourite book. As they drew closer, they noticed that the teenage boy was incessantly hitting on Jane as she just stood there looking a bit perplexed.

Angeal glanced at Genesis, and noticed that he had cocked his head to the side as he observed the girl. The dark-haired man looked at her also, to see what had suddenly gained his interest. He supposed she had grown to be quite pretty; her legs were long and she had a good figure, one which was toned from exercise.

In her hand she held a paintbrush, which she had evidently just been using to paint the new store sign. The paint was dripping slowly of the brush and falling unnoticed onto the boy's trainers. As they drew closer, Angeal managed to pick up on what the two teens were saying.

''So I was thinking' you an' me could get togetha sumtime,'' the boy said. From where he was standing, Angeal couldn't see his face. Glancing at his friend, he saw that Genesis had raised his eyebrow coolly.

''Oh, uh…. I… thanks but,'' Jane stammered. It was more that obvious to the two men that she wanted nothing better than to have the boy leave her alone. For a moment, Angeal considered intervening, but then thought better of it. It was none of his business, but he would do something if it got out of hand.

''Why not, it makes perfect sense. I'm single, you're single. Nothing stopping us from doing… _it_.''

Jane blushed slightly, looking more uncomfortable than ever, and also slightly nauseated at the thought of what the boy was proposing.

''Heh… I er, really don't want to,'' she said, ''but thanks for the offer?''

''Fine, I'll be back round tomorrow, when you've had a chance to change your mind,'' he said, the tone of his voice making him seem assured of his eventual success. He winked at her before walking away.

''Great…,'' Jane said, a strained fake grin plastered on her face, and called after him, ''I'm dreading it!''

Angeal chuckled slightly and headed over towards the now available girl, Genesis right beside him. The red-head cast his eye over the exterior of the shop. It had changed drastically since the last time he had been there, but then again it had been several years ago.

''_Howards Bookstore and tea-room_'' Genesis read aloud, ''sounds fancy.''

Jane started slightly, her hair glinting with Gold and red tones in the sun.

''I like it,'' Jane said, and turned to face them, ''I think it sounds _quaint_.''

''Very,'' Angeal smiled, ''business must be going well.''

The talked to each other as if they had been friends for years. It was a technique Jane had managed to work on through running the shop. She found that by being friendly, even to people who weren't her customers, she would get people recommending her store to their friends as a good place to shop. She even had regular customers now, which had delighted her beyond belief; people who would visit her store more than once and enjoy coming back there. In fact, its increasing popularity had led to her expanding the shop. Of course, that wasn't to say business was booming, but maybe this renovation would do the trick.

The flat above the main store, where she had once lived, was now being converted into a little café. The idea behind this was to have people spend more time there, and hopefully have more of a chance of spotting something they were interested in buying.

''It could be better… '' Jane said, glancing up at the sign. ''I'm using some money my brother and I inherited to do this work. We're hoping this will get things moving a bit more.''

''I'm sure it will,'' Angeal said as he cast an eye over his shoulder, ''the renovations alone are making more people realise its here.''

Jane smiled happily. ''Well I guess there is a bright side to having really loud workers then.''

''You wouldn't be open would you?'' Genesis asked.

Jane opened her mouth to respond when a loud crash sounded from inside, followed out by a cloud of smoke and dust. She closed her eyes briefly to cam herself down. Opening them again, she gave the two men an exasperated smile.

''If you know what you want… I think browsing may be out of the question,'' she replied.

''What's going on in there'' Angeal asked, frowning at the entrance, from which a cloud of smoke and sawdust was till issuing slowly.

''I'm re-doing the whole interior. New flooring, lighting, shelves…-''

''Are you taking everything out with grenades?'' Angeal laughed as something else fell over inside the shop and agitated voices followed the sounds out.

''All in the effort of time-saving,'' she grinned. ''I'm not using a professional contractor. I have a friend from the slums that needed some work, so I said he could do it.''

''Isn't that a bit risky,'' Genesis inquired, his blue eyes also trained on the entrance. Jane simply shrugged.

''If you don't give people a chance how will you know what they're capable of? Besides, he's a very good carpenter; it's the other two who haven't a clue what they're doing.''

Climbing up the stepladders, Jane rested her paintbrush across the tub of paint she was using and then hopped back down. Wiping her hand on her shorts she led them into the store, picking her way carefully through several boxes and bits of broken wood.

''So, what are you looking for?'' she called over her shoulder.

''Loveless,'' Genesis said, and Jane turned and frowned at them.

''Isn't this like, the third copy you've bought off me?'' she asked and Angeal nodded, ''what on earth do you do with them?''

''Oh, you know, war, swords, apples… Sephiroth,'' Genesis said airily and Angeal chuckled. Jane raised an eyebrow and Angeal chuckled louder.

''You people are insane,'' she laughed, ''books are precious, treat them with respect!''

''Genesis, we've found your soul mate!'' Angeal said seriously and Jane blushed.

_**Fourth Encounter**_

About a year later

Jane was standing in the far corner of shop sorting out books on a shelf. She was so engrossed in the reorganising that she didn't hear a customer enter until they rang the bell at front counter. Jane jumped violently but managed not to shout out. She thought the shop was closed and considered telling the person to leave out of sheer annoyance, until she saw who it was. There was no mistaking that figure. The hair, the posture, it was definitely Sephiroth. She suddenly found it hard to breathe. Was this some weird dream? Why would he come here? Suddenly the room seemed to have a lot less air in it.

She quickly shook herself and made her way to the front of the shop and round to the back of the counter.

''Sorry about the wait,'' she smiled, trying not to faint or burst in to hysterics, ''how can I help?''

He said nothing but put a book on the counter. He gave the impression that he was sizing her up, and this made her more nervous than ever. However, she almost laughed when she saw which book it was.

''Gift wrap?'' she asked casually, and he nodded. They were both silent for a moment as she picked out a deep red paper and cut some off the roll. She was horribly aware of him watching her closely, and she half expected him to start faulting her on what she was doing. ''So is this just a SOLDIER thing, or has LOVELESS really just infected everyone?''

As if he only just realised he was watching her, he looked away, but chuckled softly. Jane blushed despite of herself, and began to pay more attention to what her hands were doing. After another moment he spoke,

''Genesis recommended this store to me,'' he said offhandedly, but again he was watching her for a reaction.

''Oh really?'' she said, trying to sound as calm as he did, ''yeah, he comes in here sometimes.''

In truth, the red-head came in here quite often, sometimes for a chat, and sometimes to buy new books. As a consequence, her store had become a hovering ground for Genesis' fans.

''It has become a common haunt for him,'' he said, not looking at her, but instead one of the books on display on the desk. Jane thought he sounded disapproving. She decided to just ignore this.

''Well, in any case, business is booming thanks to those nutters who like to stalk him,'' she shrugged. It was perfectly true; not a day went buy that she didn't see groups of women and girls walking in and out of her shop, trying to look as if they weren't waiting for the SOLDIER in red. Some, however, weren't so subtle, and simply came up and asked her when Genesis was coming back.

''You think this store's success is due solely to Genesis' occasional presence here?'' Sephiroth questioned her. Jane looked up at him. She could not believe she was having this conversation with the legendary first class SOLDIER. Nor could she believe that he was here in the first place. Jane had heard a little about him from Genesis, but she had got the distinct impression that there was some sort of rivalry between the two men, so she never breached the subject.

Jane considered her response carefully before she gave it. She guessed that he wasn't going to settle for a passive answer. Undoubtedly it had been an ulterior motive for coming to her shop.

''Hmmm… I guess a few years ago that would have been the case, but now it's down to the fact that I don't openly go around sporting the Shinra or PA logo on everything.'' She replied eventually. ''Because I'm not affiliated, this shop is very low on the list of places which is going to get bombed or raided.''

Sephiroth continued to study her with his intense green eyes. He was very intimidating. Jane felt uncomfortable beneath his gaze.

''Are you quite sure you have no affiliation?'' He asked, but didn't betray anything like accusation in his voice.

''Quite sure,'' she said firmly, ''unless I've taken up sleepwalking and done something stupid.''

Sephiroth raised an eyebrow.

Jane suddenly felt very stupid and cleared her throat before giving a proper answer – she now realised that this had turned into an interrogation. She had been worried that this might happen. Getting close to a SOLDIER in times like this was a very dangerous thing to do, even though the leader of the PA knew that she wasn't working for Shinra.

''Look,'' she said awkwardly, ''I have friends and family on both sides. My older brother works for Shinra, my twin brother trained to be in the PA and died for it, and the leader of the PA practically raised us.''

This definitely caught his interest, which was most likely a bad thing.

''You were raised by Ichiro Katsuyama?'' he asked, taking a step forward. He was threatening her but Jane didn't take much notice. She had frowned at the name he had given her.

''No,'' she said, and continued without giving much thought to what she was saying. ''Penelope Armstrong, her husband was an ex-turk and-'' she suddenly caught herself and slapped herself on the head, ''yeah, because _that's_ unaffiliated! Forget I said anything.''

She guessed that wouldn't work. Jane glared at the counter as she silently reprimanded herself. Sephiroth raised his chin slightly.

''Penelope Armstrong was killed over a month ago, and was only a simple foot soldier,'' he said coolly. Jane looked up at him, again frowning.

''I saw her the day before yesterday and she looked pretty alive to me,'' she said. She was positive that Penelope was alive. Had she faked her own death? And what was this about her being just a SOLDIER? She had been there at the PA's formation.

''Did you talk to her?''

Jane scratched the back of her head. She was done for. The PA would definitely be angry if they found out she had handed Shinra information, but she could hardly refuse Sephiroth; he was too strong for her to escape from, and could easily have her arrested if she didn't talk.

''Yeah, she visits pretty often, keeps trying to get me to join the PA,'' she said, and buried her head in her hands as she sighed, ''and hey, while I'm grassing everyone up, I may as well tell you there's a Wutai cell two shops that way!'' she jabbed her thumb jerkily over her shoulder, and straightened up with another sigh.

''Do you jest?''

''No,'' she sighed, ''they're actually pretty rowdy. It can get annoying sometimes. Anyway, you can hardly miss it – they have a banner over the front of the building.''

''A banner?'' he said sardonically, but raised an eyebrow when she nodded.

''Not a huge one, but it does have the PA motto on it; '' צבא של האנשים ''

''It means ''Army of the People'' in the language of the ancients,'' she explained. ''I'm sure you already know this but they take the motto because they believe the planet belongs to all people and shouldn't be hurt by Shinra's reactors. They say they are carrying out the will of the ancients by protecting the planet; saving it from Shinra.''

Sephiroth studied her for a while longer before deciding that she as telling the truth. He did already know the PA's aims, but the stuff about the 'will of the ancients' was new to him. However, he did recognise some of it as ideals carried on by the remnants of the terrorist group AVALANCHE.

''Carrying out the will of the ancients; it seems they have a high opinion of themselves,'' he mused.

''And Shinra doesn't?'' Jane countered automatically, but immediately regretted her words. Sephiroth glared down at her coldly. ''Both sides have strong ideals,'' she continued quietly and looked down at her hands, ''I just wish you could all find a compromise and stop the fighting.''

''So you are a pacifist, then?'' he asked without caring much what the answer was.

Jane shrugged as she finished wrapping the book up. He'd obviously got the information he came for.

''No,'' she said, ''not really. I just hate that it's turned into a family feud.''

Jane put the wrapped book on the counter.

''I'm the only one not to have chosen a side,'' she finished.

Again Sephiroth made her feel uncomfortable as he studied her. Jane wondered whether or not he was going to start asking more questions. She cast her eyes around her shop, trying to distract herself from her nerves. Because of this she didn't notice Sephiroth's eyes train on a piece of paper which was half-hidden by a crossword puzzle.

''You say you are unaffiliated,'' Sephiroth said, and Jane looked back up at him, ''yet you feel safe to be drawing the PA logo on documents.''

Jane frowned at him. Just what was he talking about? When she made no reply, Sephiroth reached forward and pulled out the piece of paper. To his surprise she blushed slightly.

''Uhh, that's not the PA logo,'' she said with a shaky voice. ''I designed that years ago.''

''Then would you care to explain the resemblance?''

Jane took a calming breath before talking again.

''Well, I don't just run a bookstore for the hell of it, I'm actually an author,'' she muttered while blushing. She reached for the book that Sephiroth had been studying not long ago and flicked through it until she came to the right page, and handed it to the SOLDIER. ''I wrote that book. That design is of a talisman featured throughout it.''

''So why do the PA sport this as their logo.''

''I already told you; Penelope Armstrong raised me and my brothers- I drew that when I was very little, when the PA was just a small organisation. Penelope thought it was good.''

''And you kept this design,'' he questioned. It was transparently clear that he was suspicious of her. This annoyed her slightly; she hadn't done anything wrong.

''Well it's _my_ design,'' she said irritably, ''and I make all sorts of references to it during the book which I didn't want to change; do you know how long it took to research everything?''

Yet again the Silver warrior raised an eyebrow at her. Jane bit back an outburst which would surely have got her arrested. Put of the corner of her eye she noticed movement outside the shop, and glancing out to the window her heart stopped. Panic and feat hit her mind like an ice-ball. ''U-um, did you bring an army with you?''

* * *

**_Woo-hoo! There's an army at the door! If you wanna see what happens next I'll need payment... in the form of reviews! (cackles evilly)._**

**_Only joking, well not really...  
_**

**_Cheerio!  
_**

**_UnchainedMelody94  
_**


	3. Chapter 3

_**Here we go with Chapter 3!**_

_**By the way I would just like to say a huge thank you to the people who have reviewed this story so far, you made my day each time I got one!**_

* * *

**Chapter 3**

''So why do the PA sport this as their logo.''

''I already told you; Penelope Armstrong raised me and my brothers- I drew that when I was very little, when the PA was just a small organisation. Penelope thought it was good.''

''And you kept this design,'' he questioned. It was transparently clear that he was suspicious of her. This annoyed her slightly; she hadn't done anything wrong.

''Well it's _my_ design,'' she said irritably, ''and I make all sorts of references to it during the book which I didn't want to change; do you know how long it took to research everything?''

Yet again the Silver warrior raised an eyebrow at her. Jane bit back an outburst which would surely have got her arrested. Put of the corner of her eye she noticed movement outside the shop, and glancing out to the window her heart stopped. Panic and feat hit her mind like an ice-ball. ''U-um, did you bring an army with you?''

She was too scared to be annoyed at how ridiculous her voice sounded. The SOLDIER's green eyes followed her petrified gaze. To his credit he didn't even bat an eyelid, as if he ran into armies hanging around bookshops every day.

''You should leave while you are still able to,'' Sephiroth said in his ever-calm baritone voice. Realising what he meant Jane's eyes snapped to him, and she said something which at a later date would have been found very stupid.

''You are not fighting in my store!'' she yelped as she ran around the desk to stand defiantly in front of him. The bell above the door tinkled. Jane turned round to see who had entered.

''John?'' It was her brother. All of a sudden the feeling of dread in the pit of her stomach multiplied tenfold. She glances out to the small army outside her shop and back to her brother again. ''What are you doing?''

John glanced at Sephiroth very briefly, but then trained his attention on his little sister. He didn't seem at all surprised to see the SOLDEIR there.

''Jane, come away, it's not safe here anymore,'' he said quietly. Her brother extended his hand out to her as if he expected her to take it. Jane looked at him blankly, but was saved the trouble of responding when Sephiroth spoke up.

''Hn,'' he said with amusement, ''as we thought. You have betrayed Shinra.''

''And with good reason!'' John snapped. Jane couldn't help but notice the fear in his voice, but she wasn't sure if Sephiroth did. ''You deserve what's coming to you. Jane lets go.''

''What the hell is going on?'' she asked weakly, pointing from John, to the army outside, and back to John again. ''What, I mean what's- Just WHAT?''

''There's no time Jane, come _on_!'' He countered urgently. Behind her Sephiroth began to move, perhaps reaching for his weapon

''You leave my sister alone!'' John shouted, ''Do it, or else…''

Jane's senses were dulled from shock. It was like she was in a dream, or underwater, yet everything was scarily real. The army outside wasn't making a sound, but she could feel their presence. They were on edge and ready to kill. John reached into his pocket and took out something the size of a cigarette lighter, but with an unmistakable red button on it. Her blood turned to ice.

''John… please tell me that's not a detonator.''

Jane stared at her brother, not daring to take this in. He was pale and slightly sweaty, but he looked determined. John was now looking at Sephiroth, keeping a wary eye on him in case he moved. Sephiroth chuckled.

''Well it seems you are no longer in the middle of a family feud – you are all united on one side now.''

Jane snapped before she realised what she was doing and looked over her shoulder at him.

''Don't you dare speak for me!'' she glowered before turning back to the maniac with the death-button. ''John, I'm not going to let you blow something up, I thought you were better than this!''

John let out a shaky breathless laugh. His eyes were alight with a fire she had never seen in him before. He looked quite deranged.

''These bombs aren't just wired to something, they are all over Shinra building,'' he said.

''John no!'' Jane yelped and took a desperate step towards him. ''Please, please don't press that!''

''Why not!'' he retorted angrily, and pointed towards Sephiroth. ''It's because of them that we're orphans! They deserve it! They're monsters!''

''No-one deserves this! This is evil,'' She tried to reason. John quickly became even angrier.

''I swear to Lucifer, if this is because of that bloody SOLDIER you've been seeing-''

''Genesis is my friend!'' she snapped defensively. ''And it's not just because of that! Normal people work there; they hold jobs so they can support their families – what will happen if you blow the place up? You'll be causing more damage than the war did!''

''Jane ENOUGH! Get out of here before the fighting starts, I'm not gonna lose you too.''

Jane was having none of this. She was so angry and scared that the thought of complying never even crossed her mind.

''What the hell's gotten into you?'' she screamed. Her voice clawed at her throat and she temporarily forgot the Sephiroth was there.

''Shut up and GO!'' John roared back at her, his thumb moving dangerously close to the detonation button.

Jane straightened up and raised her chin. When she next spoke she didn't scream, but her voice was still slightly hysterical.

''No!'' she said and folded her arms across her chest.

''What?''

''I said no.'' she repeated stubbornly. ''I won't leave. This store is all I have-''

John threw his head back and growled angrily.

''Jane stop being stupid and get out.''

''You should listen to him,'' Sephiroth said quietly. Jane jumped, only just remembering that he had been there all along. ''It wouldn't be good to stand in my way.''

''Don't you even…'' John stepped forward threateningly. Even though she was pissed at her brother, she couldn't help but admire his guts for standing up to the legendary swordsman. But then she saw the murderous glint in the man's eye.

''John-'' she said warningly.

''Enough!'' John commanded and glared at Sephiroth. ''Even if you kill me, we've got another detonator. Shinra is going down, no matter what!''

To Jane's shock, the SOLDIER didn't even look phased. In fact he looked rather amused.

''Coward,'' Sephiroth smirked. ''You don't have what it takes to face us.''

John shook his head, a grin unfurling on his face also. Jane wondered if whether this was just a guy thing. Were all men this crazy?

''No, we're not cowards, we're just smart. What use is brawn without brains?'' he asked. John was clearly goading the man. Jane wanted to reprimand him, but the bell above the door tinkled again. Jane glance to see who it was and staggered back as if punched in the stomach.

''What's taking so long?'' the boy asked. Her was her age, and had sandy coloured hair and the same eyes as John. He was dressed in jeans and a black shirt.

''J-James…'' Jane stammered. Even she couldn't tell whether she was horrified or delighted at this sudden apparition. What she was seeing just could be true. _It couldn't_.

''She's not listening!'' John said, turning to his younger cousin. James studied Jane for a moment before stepping forward, completely ignoring Sephiroth.

'H-how are you-'' Jane breathed, but James shook his head and held out his hand, just as John had done earlier. Jane looked at it as though she thought it might birst into flame.

This person infront of her _couldn't_ be her cousin. She had been told years ago that he was dead. As in _shot_ dead, the same time and place that her parents and aunt had died, leaving Jane and John to fend for themselves in this big and dangerous world. She and James had been the best of friends when they were younger. His loss had left her feeling hollow for years after, and now... poof! He was here, like magic.

''There's no time, let's go,'' he said authoritatively.

''You're dead,'' Jane said. She hadn't even blinked since she first saw him. She was afraid that if she closed her eyes for even a moment he would disappear. James grinned, but it made Jane feel hollow. She had dreamt and hoped that her cousin was somehow alive; that the report of his death had been false. And here he was, in the flesh, looking as solid and real as everyone else in the room.

So why wasn't she happy?

''No, I'm very much alive'' he grinned, as if they were all in one some sort of joke. He patted himself on the chest and looked over himself, pretending to look for any missing pieces. He spread his arms to show her he was whole. ''See?''

Jane dimly registered movement to her left. The sound of John speaking snapped her out of her daze. She looked around at the three men and quickly realised this was going to get out of hand, soon.

''H-hey, one wrong move and I'll – I'll…'' John growled, trying to sound fierce. He wasn't very successful, the reason being, Sephiroth had just drawn masamune. The wicked blade gleamed in the light.

''You don't have what it takes,'' Sephiroth smirked, taking delight in the other man's indecision

''Don't push him!'' Jane warned, pushing herself off the bookcase and standing up straight.

''I…'' John was very unsure now. It seemed things weren't going to plan for him. Perhaps he had expected no resistance from Jane once she had seen her much loved and much missed cousin.

''Hn.'' Sephiroth chuckled. Actually _chuckled_. How could he laugh at a time like this? Couldn't he see what a dilemma this was for her? For a moment Jane hoped, rather than thought, that Sephiroth could get everything under control; he was a SOLDIER, right? He was trained for this sort of situation. But James had other ideas.

''Well I do!'' James said confidently, and produced the second detonator from his jeans pocket.

''NO!'' Jane screamed, only just stopping herself from lunging at him. John was looking more and more torn. ''I thought the PA wanted to save people? How many people will die if you press that button? Didn't you think this through?''

''Yes. I did.'' James smiled.

That wasn't the smile she remembered from when she was little. This one was mad. This guy couldn't be the same James. She wouldn't allow it to be.

She wanted to voice this, to make him understand, but didn't get the chance.

He pressed the button.

''NOOO!'' Jane lunged forward but John caught her and pushed her back none too gently. She hit the bookcase once again and it dawned on her – there were no explosions. John and James exchanged glanced. Now they were scared. All their leverage with Sephiroth was gone.

''Hn.'' Sephiroth chuckled again. His blade moved slightly and her brothers glanced at it. Then at the detonator.

''What?'' James muttered, as John pressed his button also. Again nothing happened. Jane let out a shaky breath. The shock of James pressing the button had sent an almost debilitating wave of pain through her brain, separating her thought process from what her body was doing. She didn't even know how her legs were managing to support her body.

She glanced at Sephiroth who hadn't even reacted as far as she could tell.

''We knew of your plan long ago,'' he said simply, but his message was obvious; you've already lost. He fished out his phone and checked it idly before sliding it back into his pocket. ''The bombs were disarmed precisely 32 seconds ago.''

John stumbled back a pace, but it seemed he, like Jane, was too paralyzed to move. James seemed to have more control. But was weighing his options, waiting to see what would happen.

Jane almost cried when Sephiroth turned towards her. She was sure he would start by killing her. ''I should thank you,'' he said, ''you provided us with the extra time needed.''

This was the catalyst needed to gear James back into action. He turned furiously towards his cousin.

''So you ARE working with Shinra?'' he glowered. Jane began to panic. Looking into James' eyes, it was hard to see any human left in there at all. John also seemed to be startled by his behaviour.

''No, I'm not, I swear! I ju-'' Jane stammered, but James was having none of it.

''I should have known; what with that SOLDIER always-''

''Genesis has nothing to do with-'' Jane snapped back. The situation was quickly deteriorating.

''We should have had you killed a long time ago!'' James yelled.

''James, this is my sister!'' John intervened. But James wouldn't hear any of it.

''SHUT UP! I'm not siding with anyone!'' Jane screamed. She couldn't help the tears forming in her eyes. She was going to die. Either Sephiroth would kill her for having these two as family, or, dare she even think it, James would kill her through his temper.

''And that's reason enough,'' James said in a deafeningly quietly voice. The silence tore at her ear drums and James reached behind him in slow motion and pulled a gun on her.

''No James-'' John tried weakly.

Just like a gunshot starts a race, James's bullet started the fighting.

Jane was thrown backwards, the force of it knocking over the bookshelves behind her. Pain seared in her shoulder and head, and the books and shelves overwhelmed her. She could hear the sound of fighting right next to her. It struck her how loud the sounds of swords clashing actually were. This was the end. She was going to die by a blade, if the bullet didn't kill her first.

Wait – the bullet! It hadn't hit her. Slowly her brain managed to catch up with her. There had been a flash of sliver; Sephiroth had used his blade to deflect the bullet. The sound of breaking glass now assaulted her, as shards of the window exploded into the shop. Hundreds of voices were yelling. Thankfully the books and shelves that she had been pushed into were still covering her.

But only one thought was in her head now; she couldn't stop here. There was nothing she could do; she couldn't stop the fighting, it was too late. All she could do was run.

And that was what she did. Trying her best to keep low, Jane scrambled on hands and knees, bruising herself on every hard object she passed over until she was not far from the counter. She pushed to her feet, ran and vaulted over it and slammed into the wall. She used her hand to cushion the blow and quickly ran to her left, praying that none of the flying bullets were aimed at her.

She skidded to a halt bay the door leading out into the alley way and began fumbling with the lock. Damn her hands for shaking so much. Twice she dropped the keys before she managed to get the right one in the lock and turn it.

Jane dashed out into the cool night air and slammed the door shut behind her. Instinctively she made to go right but stopped suddenly as though she had hit another wall. More soldiers were just outside the gate, all waiting to get close enough to the SOLDIER to fight him. Just how many were there? Was Sephiroth fighting alone? Surely not; Shinra had known what was happening, right?

Jane desperately looked behind her. The PA soldiers hadn't seen her yet. With the sound of the fighting so close, the slamming of the door was barely noticeable.

The building opposite hers was only one storey high.

The dumpster, she thought quickly, I can use it to get on the roof. Turning, she ran the length of the alley and used the momentum to jump on the dumpster. She glanced up the wall and jumped. She only just managed to reach the top. Her feet scrabbled against the wall as she tried to climb up, managing to badly graze her knee before she did it.

However, it seemed she was determined to have rotten luck. One of the PA soldiers saw her climbing up on to the roof and alerted two others, who then proceeded to break down the gate.

Jane couldn't think properly. She couldn't process what was happening; everything had transpired so quickly. The cool night air was daggers in her throat as she ran, stumbling and blind with panic. The fear was so tumultuous that it was an actual physical force working against her. Each time she tried to make a decision it attacked her.

But her will to live seemed to be stronger. Not wasting a second, she scrambled up and dashed off across the roof tops. She wondered what the people inside the houses were doing, what they were thinking. Were they scared? If so, not nearly as much as she was.

Jane came to an alleyway but didn't stop. She leapt, arms flailing and eyes wide, onto the fire escape of the next building over, and began to climb. Risking a glance back over her shoulder she let out a strangled sound which was half way between a scream and a whimper.

The three PA soldiers had made it onto the roof and were looking right at her. There was only one thing to do; keep on climbing.

Twice she nearly fell. This fire escape was rarely used and rusty. One of the rungs broke beneath her foot, and near the top two of them were missing. She would have managed fine had not two helicopters passed above her, one of their search lights catching her full in the face. Jane slipped and winced against the light, and when she opened her eyes her breath caught in her throat. The ladders didn't reach the roof.

''STOP RUNNING OR WE'LL OPEN FIRE!''

The last of her pursuers made it to the fire escape just as Jane kicked through the window to her right. The lights were off and this was an emergency. Some day she would apologise, she promised herself, she would come back someday, alive and well.

Only then did she realise she was crying. Her throat hurt and her lungs burned but she kept on running. She wanted to stop, to have a moment to breath. Her feet pounded on the floor and the front door came into sight, but she didn't slow down.

CRASH!

Jane slammed her body into the door as hard and she could. As if this didn't hurt enough, she and the door connected painfully with the floor of the hallway. Little lights popped up in front of her eyes as she shook her head, trying to clear them.

She didn't have time for this. Dragging her half limp body into a standing position, and carefully trying to ignore the two-inch-long shard of wood now imbedded in her lower right rib cage, she stumbled up the stairs. Jane only made it up one flight before she heard the unmistakable sounds of the three men entering the building. This alone was enough to re-ignite her brain.

Trying to be stealthy yet quick, she continued until she reached the exit onto the roof. It was open; some luck at last! She burst through, only to have her ears assaulted once more by the sound of helicopters and fighting. She shuddered at the sound of gunfire. The thought of bullets ripping through flesh wasn't a comforting one to her, given the situation.

She began to run again.

I wonder if John and James are dead, she thought. If they were facing Sephiroth, they must be.

She was too scared to be angry at James, but felt betrayed by John. He had raised her since she was twelve, took care of her, but now…

And how was James alive? Was it really him? His appearance had scared her more than anything else that night.

After covering the distance of two buildings, Jane heard yet another thing to make her heart stop.

They had almost reached the roof. She didn't look back, or register what they were saying as they burst through the door, but she didn't have to. A bullet soared past her ear and she screamed, partly from this, and partly because she had found the edge of the roof with no braking distance to think of.

Time slowed down, just like it did in movies. She flew off the roof, another building approaching quickly. The alley was about a metre and a half across, and bless the Gods, Goddesses and whatever else there is to worship, the building in her flight path was just one story shorter than the one she was leaving.

''Come on Jane,'' she managed to think, ''tuck and roll, just like you learnt.''

The landing was a little rougher and quicker than her departure. Her legs felt the first effects of the impact which sent a shockwave through her whole body. Her teeth clashed together so hard she was afraid when she looked, they may have all cracked and shattered, next time she had the heart to examine them.

Her ankle twisted awkwardly beneath her and she slammed her shoulder into the ground. She barely managed to keep her head from making the same sort of impact. However, the sound of the soldiers approaching the edge of the roof left her no time to dwell on the pain, and in an instant she was back on her feet and running as if her life depended on it, which it did, a little.

Jane was too busy worrying about what was behind her that she didn't notice the one of the Helicopters from before was on an intercept course with her. She did however, look up as it began to fly lower, its spotlights - and GUNS - pointing right at her.

Great, she though numbly, two sets of pursuers. What did I do to deserve this?

Seeing the Helicopter the PA soldiers open-fired on both of them. Jane screamed and tried to cover her head with her arms and keep running at the same time. It didn't work.

A bullet ripped through her side and she fell to the ground painfully. She got up and tried to run in another direction, but a man in a black suit jumped from the helicopter and made to intercept her. He was too quick – she didn't have enough time to avoid him. They collided.

It was just about as painful as running into a wall, this guy was solid. Jane panicked even more as his strong arms snatched around her. She thrashed around, struggling and screaming as the helicopter downed the PA soldiers, who fell limps a ragdolls.

''Get off me! Let go!'' Jane sobbed and screamed. Hot tears were now gushing down her face.

''Calm down, I'm with Shinra,'' The man shouted.

''I don't care let go,'' Jane shot back. They were now struggling so hard that Jane's feet left the ground. The man grunted as one of her flailing legs kicked him.

Unbeknownst to Jane, another man approached them from the helicopter.

''Do something!'' The first man growled to the second, and then Jane's vision went black.

* * *

_**For now I have decided to keep going with this, and I hope that all you wonderful people will continue leaving your kind words, they really help to motivate me. Anyway, I hope this ''long lost relative who is suddenly not dead'' isn't too cliche, but it is a good plot point so... please be kind.  
**_

_**Thanks!  
**_


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